Ever since his draft night, Bronny James‘ position in the league has been criticized by many. The teen declared for the draft right after his freshman year with a below-average resume. Bronny played 25 games for the Trojans while still recovering from his heart problems. Before his first collegiate season, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest which played a crucial role, in impacting his performance. However, the teen was still considered NBA talent by veterans and scouts. However, as James Jr. nears his Summer League debut, it seems as if his teammate might have the spotlight instead of him.

The 23-year-old first-rounder, Dalton Knecht, is one of the lethal shooters in his draft class. Bronny is also a shooting guard but he is yet to prove his consistency. On the other hand, expectations seem to be declining, as Seth Greenburg said, “I really don’t have any expectations from Bronny James… Can he defend the basketball? High basketball IQ. Does he make the right play? If he knocks down a jumper, that’s great but the guy didn’t play last year this time due to a heart ailment. So I’m not going to overreact to anything that happens today. Good, bad, indifferent, we know it’s a process. We know he’s the 55th pick in the draft. We know he’s not going to be ready right now. So I’m not going to overreact to anything that would happen in the Summer League with Bronny James.”

While most critics didn’t consider his health when looking at his college numbers, the teen’s true potential is yet to be tested. He’s a great on-ball defender and can guard players on the perimeter. Coming up as a shooting guard, he has a great shot and is also a hustler in transition. The hype around him may be misjudged, but at the end of the day, as Greenburg said, Bronny is a late pick and is in stages of development.

However, the projected starting lineup does include James Jr. alongside Knecht and others. The teen will be the starting point guard whereas Knecht will pick the shooting guard spot. It will be interesting to see the two gel together, facing the Kings. Besides, Knecht and Bronny will be sharing the ball as supporting assets during the regular season. But the real question is, how can Bronny become a considerate talent on the NBA hardwood?

Bronny James will look to respond to the haters

Will Summer League be the answer to it all for Bronny? For the most part, it won’t be. The 55th pick has a lot of area for improvement and fans are more excited to see him perform in the upcoming season. The Summer League will just be a warmup and a chance for Bronny to monitor and predict how things will turn out for him in the regular season. Also, Bronny will have veterans to guide him throughout the season.

Not only that, but JJ Redick was a shooting guard himself. The former star of LA can optimize Bronny’s role depending on the amount of minutes he can play. Yes, he may not get a lot of playing time at first, but the father-son duo may just become a thing come the 2024-25 season. The Lakers are the highlighted squad this Summer League because of obvious reasons and fans can watch them in action in just a few hours.

What are your thoughts on Bronny James? How well do you think will he perform in the Summer League? Let us know in the comments.

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